Transforming an Emotional Block

By Brenda Strausz
www.brendastrausz.com

I have found myself doing more and more guided imagery along with EFT in so many varied and wonderful ways. I also have been combining art therapy with it with very good results.

I had been seeing Rose for a few months. When she walked in the door I could see that she looked more sad than usual. She reported that her life wasn’t going well . . . she said she just felt stuck and didn’t know why or what to do. She talked about her “stuckness” on many levels: emotional, financial and in her love relationships.

I decided to have her start by closing her eyes and visualizing what the stuck place looked like. She talked as she visualized it: It was a big cement block . . . It was a huge square . . .A grayish color . . . It was solid and unmoving.

We talked about it for a bit and then I had her draw a picture of it. . I cautioned her not to think too much . . . just to draw. As she drew in the artist’s notebook I keep in my office, I noticed her hand sweeping the page. Her stuck place took up the whole paper it was a huge square and she colored it black and gray.

Then I had her visualize what the block was up made of . . . she started to describe it . . . she could see parts of her childhood (especially her father) and her ex husband.

Then I asked her draw what she saw inside of her block… She sectioned off the block and began to write inside of it, “my ex husband”, “my father” . . . . (Note: I had been working with her for weeks in therapy . . . she always said her childhood was perfect. She denied any baggage from her parents!) I asked her what they were saying that stuck in her block and she basically said that they both were saying that she better be perfect or else. . .the perfect daughter, the perfect wife. She realized for the first time that her ex and her dad had very similar qualities! They criticized her . . . she had to be pretty all the time, if she didn’t look good . . . she was no good . . . she was the trophy daughter and had become the trophy wife.

Then we tapped:

Even though my father and my ex husband thought I was only okay when I looked good and was totally a “good girl”, I completely and totally love and accept myself.

Even though I built this false self because I was afraid my dad wouldn’t like me if I wasn’t perfect in all areas I am ready to recognize all the inner beauty and wonder inside of me and I completely love and accept myself.

Even though I felt I had to act like they wanted me to act, I know better now and I am willing to see myself differently.

We did the reminder phrases with variations of:

Of course, I am stuck . . . I never knew who I was beyond a pretty face.

Just a pretty face to them.–a perfect little Barbie doll.

That is all that mattered to them. So I thought that was all I had to offer.

They never saw the real me. It was there. I am beginning to be in touch with the real me. I have so much to offer.

Then I had her visualize what she was going to do with the cement block . . . She buried it way out somewhere in a deep woods. Next, I asked her to visualize someone in her life, whether it be her own guardian angel or someone who loves her or her wisest self, tell her all the ways she shines. She came up with, “Funny, smart, responsible, loving, artistic, compassionate, trust-worthy, loyal, etc.”

We tapped as she said those things to herself and I made her a CD with all those positive statements about herself on them. We also tapped on forgiveness of herself and her ex and dad keeping in mind that everyone was doing what they thought was best for her . . . if they knew better they would have done better but now she knows better.

Her whole face looked open and alive. When she left she said, “Thank you Brenda! I feel so free! This was worth 5 years of Freudian Therapy!”

She continues to do well as she is remembering who she really is. What an honor it is to do this work!